


A Deal's a Deal

by Fullbusterstuck



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gaming, M/M, Minor Violence, Volleyball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2018-11-18 05:57:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11285091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fullbusterstuck/pseuds/Fullbusterstuck
Summary: One obsessed with volley ball and one obsessed with video games. Both of them need the others help to fulfill their goals. To solve their problems they make a deal but, will it be more than they bargained for?





	1. Let's Make a Deal

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be mainly Kuroken but, it will reference later on my other short story about Tsukkiyama and have some stuff going on with them.  
> This will be written in third person but, will focus mainly on one person's thoughts and views.  
> *If you have any questions regarding this fanfic you can ask me them on tumblr: tsookiyooma.tumblr.com/ *

            The day was hot as it grew closer to summer. Even with the AC running, the gym felt like an oven slowly cooking anyone who dared to enter. Despite the heat, the gym was filled with the sound of sneakers squeaking, shouts for tosses, and thuds as balls hit off the ground and players. The team continued to practice with everything they had to prepare for the upcoming tournament. Well, almost everybody was giving it their all.

 **“** Kenma, toss me another one!” Kuroo screamed from across the gym.

“Can’t you ask somebody else, my arms feel like they’re going to melt off if I continue” Kenma mumbled as he received a ball.

Despite his objections Kenma continued to toss to Kuroo and the other team members. As time went on his tosses began getting sloppier. It was obvious the heat was getting to him and he couldn’t help thinking about how he could be home right now, right under the AC playing one of his favorite games. Which, reminded him that there’s a sequel to one of his favorites coming out soon.

“The midnight release is only a few days away. I don’t think we have practice the next day either,” Kenma thought as he continued tossing balls before going even deeper into thought,” The only issue is by going alone if I need to go to the restroom I’ll lose my spot. A lot of fans aren’t the nicest either so, with my size bigger fans might take advantage of that and cut in front of me.”

            Kenma was starting to feel dizzy from thinking so hard while still trying to focus on tosses when suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see it was Kuroo handing him a water bottle and towel. Kuroo smiled as Kenma took the items from him. The water was warm from being in the gym for so long but, Kenma wasn’t going to complain. As he drank the warm water he could feel his throat becoming less dry and he started feeling less dizzy.

“Everyone seems pretty worn out so, I guess we should all take a little break before continuing practice.” Kuroo said wiping sweat from his forehead.

            The team slowly made their way over to their water bottles. There were various complaints about the heat as water bottles were passed around. Kenma hadn’t realized he was still in the middle of the court till Kuroo walked back over to him.

“You ok Kenma? Is it that hot that your shoes melted and now you’re stuck on the court?” Kuroo said as he ruffled Kenma’s hair.

“I want our team to get better but, I don’t think it’s healthy to practice in this heat.” Kenma stated as he swatted Kuroo’s hand away.

“Is that why you’re getting so sloppy with your tosses? You might have finally started to sync with Lev but, it’s still a mess. As much as I hate to say this, we actually need to practice if we don’t want to get knocked out in the first few rounds, especially you and Lev.” Kuroo said with a sigh as his smile vanished from his face.

“Practicing isn’t going to do me any good if I die from heat stroke in the process.” Kenma said as he drank more water and headed towards the bench.

“You’re overreacting. I bet you wouldn’t be saying that if all this effort went towards a game.” Kuroo stated as he followed Kenma.

            Kenma noticed Kuroo was starting to get irritated at his lack of effort but, he really didn’t feel like practicing. It wasn’t that he didn’t care to put forth the effort, he just felt if he continued practicing he might melt into a puddle. He knew Kuroo wouldn’t let him just leave either. He was trying to think of a plan when Kuroo interrupted him.

“How about we make a deal. If you give it your all in the rest of the practices leading up to the tournament and agree to stay after and practice with me for longer one of these days, I will let you leave practice early today and do one other thing you want. It can be almost anything you want, no questions asked.” Kuroo said with slight desperation in his voice as he scratched the back of his head.

“Leaving practice early today would be nice but, what could be the other thing I ask him for?” Kenma thought sitting down on the bench.

 **“** Ok, let’s try to brain storm some ideas. I could make him carry me home so that I wouldn’t have to walk but, it would be weird to have another guy in high school carrying me home. I could make him buy me ice cream to cool down but, that seems like it’d be a waste. Kuroo is staring at me so intently and he seems desperate so, I don’t think I can reject the deal either. What’s something I could actually use him for. Let’s see he’s pretty big, pretty annoying, reliable, and decently strong.” Kenma debated back and forth in his head trying to figure out how to benefit the most from the deal.

“Breaks is about to be over, are you going to take the deal? Please accept, the thing can be any- “Kuroo started before Kenma interrupted him by jumping up from the bench.

“I accept your deal” Kenma stated as he stuck out his hand.

“Awesome, so what do I have to do?” Kuroo questioned as he reached to shake Kenma’s hand to seal the deal before hesitating, “You seem oddly energetic is this a trap?”

“No, I just finally found a good use for you.” Kenma said shaking Kuroo’s hand.

“Did you really have to phrase it that way? Either way, as long as it means you’ll give it your all in practice what do I have to do?” Kuroo asked.

“Well, the midnight release for this new game coming out. I need you to stand with me in line from 5:00 pm till I get the game. Also, help me pay for the game, I heard it’s supposed to be a bit expensive.” Kenma said taking back his hand and wiping it on his shorts.

“Ok, then we have a deal.” Kuroo said with a smirk.


	2. Caught in a Daydream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the deal now made emotions and question are now starting to appear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mainly Kuroo's point of view and thoughts.

            Kuroo watched as Kenma made his way over to grab his stuff. He hadn’t noticed until now that the whole team was watching them as they made their deal. As he was putting his stuff on the bench before getting back to practice he wondered why Kenma would choose that out of everything. It wasn’t too out of character for Kenma to choose something game related for when they made deals but, he never really asked for him to stay with him for so long. Kenma could have easily chosen for him to just go stand in line by himself and get the game but, he was choosing to stand with him. It had been a while since just the two of them hung out together. Kuroo finally snapped out of his thoughts after remembering what he was there for.

 “Ok guys, let’s get back to practicing!” Kuroo called out to the team

“But, Kenma just left how am I supposed to practice my spikes?” Lev whined throwing his hands up in the air

“You’re not, you’re going to be fixing that crappy receive of yours.” Kuroo said with a smirk

            Without Kenma there Kuroo told the team that they would spend the rest of the time practicing their serves and receives. Lev slowly started to be able to receive the serves from his teammates who didn’t serve as hard so, partially for his own amusement, Kuroo started to purposely match Lev up with the servers who hit the ball harder. Every time Lev missed a receive, Kuroo decided to make him run a lap, do dives, or do other exercises. Kuroo and the rest of the team found amusement in this and it almost managed to distract them from the heat. Kuroo didn’t have as much fun without Kenma there but, he still managed to find fun in practicing his skills. It wasn’t until the team noticed it was oddly cooler in the gym that they realized the sun had started to set.

“I’m gonna faint- if I have to do- anything else.” Lev said with heavy breaths as he slouched and looked like he was about to collapse to the floor.

“Well, you wouldn’t be running laps if you were properly receiving the balls,” Kuroo stated, slightly out of breath, as he prepared to serve, “Receive this last ball correctly and we’ll all be done practice.”

“You’re in a deal making mood, aren’t you?” Lev said with a laugh as he pulled himself together and prepared to receive the serve

            Kuroo was thrown off by Lev bringing up the deal he made earlier with Kenma. He didn’t know why but, for some reason the deal with Kenma made him anxious. Especially when he didn’t know all the details and why he wanted to spend so much time with him all of the sudden. Even if it was just waiting to get a game, it’d still be the longest they would be hanging out in a long time that didn’t involve volleyball. Lost in thought, Kuroo couldn’t fully focus on making the serve strong or go to a difficult enough place for Lev to have any difficulties receiving the ball.

“Well, with that I guess it’s time to call it a day. We practiced plenty today and with the heat we should all go get some rest!” Kuroo announced to the team and started heading over to the bench as the team trailed along behind him.

            Everyone packed up their belongings and started to head home. With the sun still slowly vanishing from the sky the heat almost fully started to vanish too. There were even small drafts of wind outside. They all said their goodbyes and parted ways. Kuroo couldn’t help but think about how long it’s been since he walked home from practice without Kenma. There wasn’t much difference in the amount of noise but, he still couldn’t help feeling a bit lonely.

“I wonder if he’s playing games right now or if he’s being grown up enough to start getting ready for bed,” Kuroo thought to himself as he kicked a pebble down the sidewalk,” I never realized how far this actually is. I guess I was always just caught up with pestering Kenma.”

            Kuroo finally reached the bus stop just in time to make it on. There weren’t much people on it today. Only a handful of people were riding, probably because nobody wanted to risk getting on a hot bus only to find out it was crowded. With less people Kuroo was able to find a seat for himself and one to rest his bag on. He decided to use the time to look up the game Kenma was so excited for and look up the details for the midnight release. While reading he discovered that people could only start lining up at 6:00. Part of him felt a bit disappointed that the reason they would possibly be spending so much time together isn’t because Kenma wanted to hang out with him longer but, because that was the time for the event. He did wonder why Kenma said they’d be meeting up an hour earlier than line up time though. He started to feel a bit of nostalgia thinking back when they used to hang out when they were younger.

“Maybe if I make waiting in line fun enough for Kenma he’ll want to hang out like old times.” Kuroo thought to himself smiling as he looked out the widow and watched as stars would vanish behind clouds only to reappear seconds later.

            He started to think of what they would do if Kenma decided he wanted to hang out again instead of just playing video games by himself. It wasn’t long before his thoughts were interrupted by the bus driver announcing which stop they were at. He was thankful that he was pulled out of his thoughts otherwise he was positive he would’ve missed his stop. He collected his belonging and thanked the driver before getting off the bus and heading home. Part of him thought about dropping by Kenma’s to see how he was doing but, didn’t want to bother him and decided against it. He continued to watch the stars and daydream until he reached his house. As he entered his house he felt his phone buzz it was from Kenma.

 **Kenma:** I forgot to tell you somethings about the midnight release. I’ll fill you in tomorrow after practice about the full plan.

 **Kuroo:** Sounds good! Don’t stay up late tonight playing video games, remember you have to give it your all in practice tomorrow!! Also, don’t forget to pick a day to practice extra with me.

 **Kenma:** Ok, I guess we can do the extra practice one of the days after I get the game.

            After finishing the conversation with Kenma, Kuroo decided he should take his own advice and also start preparing to go to bed. As he brushed his teeth he wondered what details Kenma still needed to tell him. He wondered what Kenma needed him there an extra hour before the lineup time for. He made up countless possibilities in his head before drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter wasn't all that exciting but, you now how stories have to have moments like this to make a foundation.


	3. Just like Old Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We know Kuroo misses hanging out with Kenma but, does Kenma feel the same?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please check the end notes for details about when I'll be updating next!
> 
> This chapter is mainly Kenma's POV

            It was bright and sunny out but, it wasn’t hot thanks to a cool breeze. Kenma was peacefully playing video games under a tall, shady oak tree while being surrounded by various cats. The cats were playing happily until they all stopped and started to hunch their backs. The cats started hissing and the games started to glitch. Kenma was confused and tried looking around for the cause of the cats’ behaviors and the game glitching. The ground was starting to shake and the sun was slowly starting to fall apart and crash into the ground around him. He turned and just in time to see a shard from the sun was about to hit him when he started to hear his name being faintly called. He could feel his body growing warmer and right as the shard was about to hit him, he jolted up.

“Kenma! Wake up! You have to be at practice on time in order to give it your all!” Kuroo said while shaking Kenma.

            Kenma sighed as he got up from his bed. As much as he wanted to go back to bed, he knew he couldn’t win this fight against Kuroo and didn’t want to waste his energy. Kenma felt a wetness on his face and neck. He realized he had sweat a good bit while sleeping. He shooed Kuroo out of his room as he headed for the bathroom to quickly wipe the sweat of his face and neck.

“I’ll wait for you in the kitchen while you get ready. I’ll make you some quick breakfast so that there won’t be any excuses for you to be sluggish today!” Kuroo said cheerfully as he headed towards the kitchen

            To a normal person what Kuroo was doing would appear to be very nice and the whole sluggish thing would appear to be a joke but, Kenma had a suspicion it wasn’t just a joke or just to be nice. He knew Kuroo just wanted him to eat a proper meal so that he could push him harder in practice. Kenma brushed his teeth and made his way back to his room to get changed. While searching in his drawers for what to wear, he started to organize his thoughts for how to explain the midnight release details in a way Kuroo would be able to fully understand. As he decided which order to tell the details and he decided to start writing the different topics in order on a notepad to help keep track. He was now fully dressed and almost done writing the list when he heard a sizzling noise. He finished writing the list and began to pack his bag with everything he would need. The noise was soon accompanied by a savory smell that was enough to make him pack his bag a little faster. He walked into the kitchen to see Kuroo wearing an apron and grilling some salmon.

“Just take a seat if you’re finished everything you have to do. It will be ready in a few minutes” Kuroo said with a smile as he continued to cook.

            Kenma sat down at the table and waited. He couldn’t remember the last time Kuroo had cooked a meal for him but, he remembered Kuroo always made good food. Judging by how small and tight the apron was looking on Kuroo, even though it was small to begin with since it was meant to fit Kenma, it has either been a while or Kuroo got more muscular. It wouldn’t surprise him if it was the later, it would explain why Kuroo was getting even more attention lately. He also noticed since Kuroo was cooking over a hot stove he was sweating which, was causing his muscles to glisten and stand out more. He decided it was probably a mix of both of his guesses and it wasn’t long before his mind trailed off back to Kuroo’s recent growth in popularity. Kuroo was always popular with how nice he was then adding in how fit he always was and it wasn’t long till he started getting muscular. Now that Kenma thought of it, people were always swarming and going to great lengths to be around Kuroo but, Kuroo only really made an effort to be around him. Kenma smiled a bit at his thoughts. After a bit of waiting, Kuroo brought over the dish. He made miso salmon with ginger rice. The meal choice added to Kenma’s suspicion of Kuroo wanting to give a healthy meal so that he could push him harder in practice.

“I know this isn’t much of a breakfast dish but, being a good volleyball player means more than just practicing. You have to have healthy meals filled with protein too and since you’ll be working extra hard in practice today, I figured this would be the perfect meal!” Kuroo said cheerfully as he gave a thumbs up before heading to the sink.

            In that moment Kenma realized his suspicion was correct, like usual. He waited till Kuroo was at the sink. Kenma watched Kuroo start wiping the sweat off his face and the muscles on his arms before he silently prayed that he would not die from exhaustion in today’s practice.

“I’m sorry what was that?” Kuroo asked sitting down at the table.

“Um I was- I was just saying thank you for the meal.” Kenma said with a nervous smile hoping that Kuroo didn’t hear him and wouldn’t make him work even harder.

            The two ate their meals while making small talk. Kuroo constantly tried to talk about volleyball while Kenma tried to constantly change the topic. After a while Kuroo got the hint.

“So, what were the details you wanted to tell me?” Kuroo asked.

“Oh, right. Well there’s a few things I still have to tell and explain to you. I have all the topics I need to cover written on a paper in my bag.” Kenma said grabbing his bag.

            He began searching his bag when the room suddenly filled with beeping. Kenma looked up from his bag trying to figure out where the beeping was coming from. He saw Kuroo frantically throw a hand into his pocket and pull out his phone.

“Sorry, I forgot I set an alarm for when we have to go so that we wouldn’t be late for practice.” Kuroo stated as he turned off his phone alarm, “Do you think we can continue this after practice? We can come back to your place and I can even help clean the dishes. Unless you think you can tell it all to me on the way to practice.”

“No, I don’t know for sure how much explaining I’ll need to do. It will probably be better if you just come over after practice so that I can properly explain.” Kenma said putting objects back in his bag that he previously pulled out when trying to find the notepad.

“You’re not just saying that so that I’ll clean the dishes for you, are you? Either way let’s head out.” Kuroo said with a laugh as he headed towards the door, “I’ll meet you outside!”

            Kenma finished packing up his bag as he watched Kuroo walk out the door. Kenma probably could explain everything perfectly by the time they got to practice but, it’s been a while since Kuroo had come over to his house after practice and he really didn’t feel like washing the dishes with know how tired he would probably be. Kuroo normally only came over every now and then to wake him up and drag him to practice. He felt his face grow warmer at the thought of Kuroo coming back over and possibly making another meal. He missed hanging out with his best friend. Kenma then headed over to the fridge to grab another bottle of water. He figured he would need another because, judging by how warm his face just felt, he assumed it was going to be a hot day today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I really have no clue if you guys like or even care about this story.  
> The next chapter will probs be a bit late (due to me moving and slight lack of motivation) but, if this gets either 20 kudos or a few comments by 7/23/17 I'll post the next chapter by the end of the week. The comments don't even need to be special just a "this is good" will work out just fine. If you can't comment on here you or you wanna remain anonymous you can send me an anon at tsookiyooma.tumblr.com (Yes, I'm aware the blog name is kinda dumb and I'm sorry if it just sounds like I'm complaining but, I know my fellow artists and writers probs understand where I'm coming from)


	4. Starting the Deal and Discussing Details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The deal has been made and now it's time for them to start doing their part. Kenma starts having to work his hardest in practice and Kuroo finally gets to hear to details Kenma said he would explain later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who left kudos and have commented!  
> There will be a POV change about midway through that I have labeled, it starts off with Kuroo's POV and the story tells you when it will be switching to Kenma's.

            Kuroo and Kenma arrived at the school to find the rest of the team waiting for them. It was hot out even with how early it was so, Kuroo decided to make the team only do a light jog around the court for warm up instead of the usual path they ran in the morning. They then proceeded to work on spikes, receives, and blocks. With Kenma putting in more effort than usual the practice flowed smoother and everyone, especially Lev, would get happy whenever it was their turn to spike. Even though Kuroo made the deal and Kenma was supposed to give it his all, he felt kind of bad as he saw Kenma starting to breath heavier. Kuroo decided he would make sure to keep an eye out for any signs of extreme fatigue in Kenma. Whenever he noticed Kenma start to look like he was getting sloppy and about to drop at any moment, Kuroo would change to a drill that didn’t involve needing a setter or switch him out with the backup setter until Kenma could catch his breath. With how smooth the practice was going, everyone was slightly shocked when they realized practice was over.

“It just goes to show when we give it our all and flow smoothly together like the blood in our veins, our minds become clear enough to work our hardest in harmony even on the hottest days!” Kuroo called out to the team practically glistening.

“I’m really glad the deal wasn’t that I have to care about your speeches.” Kenma murmured trying to catch his breath as he grabbed his water. This earned a few laughs from his fellow teammates.

            With that everyone went their separate ways to their classrooms. The afternoon practice seemed to have flown by even quicker than the morning practice but, Kuroo could tell that the practice took a toll on Kenma. He figured Kenma was especially worn out with how many balls Lev and the rest of the team asked him to toss. It also didn’t help that the sun was practically baking them as they made their way back to Kenma’s house. Kuroo thought about offering to carry Kenma since it looked like he was about to fall over and die at any moment but, he figured Kenma would think that was weird and decided to just walk slower. When they finally reached Kenma’s house, Kenma practically collapsed on the couch.

“Are you ok?” Kuroo asked sitting down on the couch next to where Kenma was laying.

“I feel a bit dizzy but, I think I just need to cool off a bit.” Kenma said with his face practically buried into a pillow.

“How about I run you a cold bath then. You should bathe after how hard you worked in practice today anyways, you’re really stinking up the place.” Kuroo said with a smirk as he got up and walked towards the bathroom so that Kenma couldn’t object.

            Kuroo walked into the bathroom and started to fill the tub with water.  He tested out the water to make sure it was cool but, not too cold that Kenma would catch a cold. Part of him felt bad for how tired Kenma looked after practicing and worried he might have pushed him too hard. He tried thinking of how else he could help Kenma feel better, after all the practicing would all go to waste if Kenma ended up too exhausted or sick to play in games. His thoughts were soon interrupted when he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up to see it was Kenma slowly walking over towards him.

“You know I said you didn’t have to do that right?” Kenma stated while leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom for support.

“Well you looked and smelled like you could really use one plus, it can give you something to do while I make us some dinner.” Kuroo said before leaving Kenma alone in the bathroom.

***Change To Kenma’s POV***

            Kenma watched as Kuroo exited the bathroom. He couldn’t help noticing that Kuroo had a slight look of guilt on his face. Kenma assumed Kuroo felt a bit guilty for how tired he was considering he was the one who made him work so hard. Even if Kuroo was only helping him out because he’s worried about him as a teammate, it made Kenma happy that Kuroo was worried about him enough to want to help him out so much. Today really was turning out to be just like how things were in the past. With that thought Kenma stripped down and went into the bath that Kuroo prepared for him. He was happy that the temperature was cold enough to cool him down without making him freeze. His head started to feel better almost instantly as he sat in the water and started washing himself. He finished washing up and wrapped a towel around himself before heading to his bedroom to find some clean clothes. Kenma settled for an old volleyball t-shirt his team gave him as a gift that said, “A setter does it better” and a pair of red shorts. Just like earlier, the smell of Kuroo’s cooking was out of this world. He walked out of his room to be greeted by Kuroo.

“I was just coming to get you for dinner, guess it was perfect timing!” Kuroo said with a laugh.

“Yeah, thanks for cooking. I can tell you the midnight release details over dinner if you want.” Kenma said as they walked over to the table.

“It’s fine you can just tell me after dinner. Focus on eating properly so that you can feel better and work even harder at practices. You are the backbone and heart of the team so, we need you in top shape.” Kuroo said with a smile.

            The two made small talk but, were mainly quiet as they ate the food. After finishing they both worked together to clean and put away all the dishes. By the time they were done cleaning up Kenma realized that it was already getting late and figured he should try to explain all the details as soon as possible.

“Ok, before it gets any later I’ll explain all the details I was talking about. I left the notepad in my room though so, we can discuss everything in there. Don’t be afraid to ask questions either, I know how you’re not always the quickest at figuring out stuff.” Kenma stated as he headed towards his bedroom.

“After I was so nice to make you dinner and this is how you treat me. I guess with how late it is it is past your bedtime so you’re getting a bit cranky.” Kuroo said with a laugh and smirk.

            Kenma gave a glare but, couldn’t refrain from letting out a small laugh. He quickly retrieved his notepad and began explaining to Kuroo. Kenma made sure to answer all Kuroo’s questions and was relieved when he finally reached his last point.

“Ok just to refresh we need to stick together in line and if for any reason we need to leave the line we have to alert the other. We shouldn’t have to leave though because, we are packing snacks and we will go to the bathroom before getting in line. We are going early so that I can show you around the place so that you don’t end up getting lost if you end up for some reason needing to leave the line. Got it?” Kenma asked putting the notepad away.

“Yes, I got it all” Kuroo said with a yawn.

“Oh, I guess it has gotten really late,” Kenma stated,” You can just sleepover if you want. You normally wake me up anyways and it will give us time to go buy some snacks in the morning if we want.”

“That sounds like a plan but, your room feels like an oven,” Kuroo said wiping some sweat off his forehead, “can we sleep somewhere cooler?”

“I’ll set up some futons in the living room then since the AC is stronger in that room. You can go shower if you want since you didn’t get to today.” Kenma said walking out of his room.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help first?” Kuroo questioned walking over to him.

“I’m sure, you kind of smell.” Kenma said as he waved his hand in front of his nose.

“Fine I’ll go shower,” Kuroo said while he ruffled Kenma’s hair before grabbing some spare clothing from his volleyball bag, “But remember those futons can be pretty heavy especially for someone as small as you.”

            Kenma partially regretted refusing Kuroo’s help to set up the futons. He ended up having to move the couch by himself so that both futons would fit on the floor. The couch was heavy so he only moved it enough for both futons to barely fit. Moving the couch combined with the heat left him too exhausted to move the futons fully into position and ended up having them overlap a bit. Kenma hoped Kuroo wouldn’t mind the closeness of the futons or question why he didn’t just move the couch more. Kenma refused to admit he needed Kuroo’s help and risk having to deal with one of Kuroo’s pep talks about the power of working together this late at night. He had just finished grabbing some sheets when Kuroo came out of the shower wearing only a pair of black sweatpants. Kenma assumed that Kuroo decided against wearing a shirt because of how hot it was or because he forgot to pack another t-shirt.

“Did you forget to pack an extra shirt?” Kenma said sitting down on the futon

“No, it’s just too hot to wear one.” Kuroo whined as he laid down on the futon,” Is this the coolest your AC is able to be?”

“Sadly yes, just try to ignore the heat and go to bed. If it really bothers you just don’t use the blanket.” Kenma said laying down and pulling a sheet over himself.

“Ok, fine.” Kuroo said before drifting off to sleep.

            Moments passed and Kenma couldn’t get to sleep. He was glad Kuroo stopped complaining about the heat and could go to sleep but, it was boring being up by himself. He thought about getting up and grabbing a game but, he didn’t want to go into his room and risk fainting from a heat stroke. Kenma tried getting into a different sleeping position to see if it would help. He tried turning on his side and ended up inches from Kuroo. It was dark but, with how close they were he could clearly see all the features of Kuroo’s face.


	5. It's Almost Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time is approaching for when the game will be available for purchase but, there's still sometime before that starts. The only question is will it be enough time to prepare them for trying to claim their spot in line?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late posting, school just started for me and the person who helps me to do the final proof read.  
> That being said, updates will take longer now since obviously my school work needs to come first.  
> I am more likely to dedicate more time to squeezing in writing the next chapters if I see you guys giving Kudos and letting me know that you are really enjoying the story in the comments!

Kuroo woke up to see Kenma’s face very close to his. At first, he was a little shocked and confused by how close Kenma was but, those feelings didn’t last long. Kenma being that close actually made him feel calmer and happy because, it meant that Kenma trusted him and was comfortable with him enough to be that close. Kenma also had a very peaceful looking face while he slept so, it made him feel at peace too. Kuroo had been worried about his friendship with Kenma since the end of the year and the tournaments would be approaching soon so, he’s been busy with applying to colleges and even though Kenma was in the volleyball practices there wasn’t much time for them to really talk. Kuroo checked the time to see it was only 7:26 am and realized there was still a while before either of them would need to get up to prepare for the day so, he decided to let himself enjoy the moment a little bit longer. After a couple minutes passed, Kuroo set an alarm for 8:30 before going back to bed.

           Kuroo woke up to the sound of his phone’s alarm clock beeping. He quickly turned it off to see that Kenma wasn’t even fazed by the loud noise. Kuroo laughed quietly to himself before starting his attempt to wake Kenma up.

“Wake up.” Kuroo said lightly shaking Kenma’s shoulder.

           Kenma let out a small groan in response but, kept his eyes shut. Kuroo took this as a challenge and started to shake Kenma more frantically till he woke up.

“Are you trying to make me throw up first thing in the morning?!” Kenma whined as he rubbed his eyes.

“Well, you wouldn’t feel like that if you woke up when I first told you to.” Kuroo stated.

“I was awake after you told me to wake up the first time.” Kenma said.

“Your eyes were closed!” Kuroo said throwing his hands up.

“I was resting them. That doesn’t mean that I wasn’t awake.” Kenma replied crossing his arms.

“Let’s just start getting ready, ok?” Kuroo said standing up.

           Kuroo went into the bathroom while Kenma went into his room. Kuroo did what he needed to in the bathroom and then exited into the living room to wait while Kenma then did what he needed in the bathroom. Once both were done they decided to go out and get breakfast since they wanted to go to the store for snacks for tonight anyways. They made their way to the near by convenience store and grabbed the item they wanted for breakfast. Kenma grabbed a mini to go apple pie and Kuroo grabbed a breakfast sandwich.

“You know, you really should be picking out something healthier to eat for breakfast if you want to be healthy and have enough energy for today.” Kuroo stated while strolling down an aisle.

“Your breakfast sandwich is from a convenience store, trust me it’s not that much better. Actually, it might even be worse since it could have been sitting out for a while.” Kenma replied grabbing a bag of chips and handing it to Kuroo to place in their basket.

“Well, your apple pie probably isn’t even filled with real apple.” Kuroo said while placing some water bottles in the basket.

“I mean, it tastes good and it’s cheap so it doesn’t really make a difference to me.” Kenma said shrugging.

           Kuroo in that moment decided to just give up and let this one go instead of risk Kenma yelling at him for “babying him”. He would just try to make Kenma eat something healthy later either today or another day. They then headed up to the cash register to pay for their food. They split the cost and then headed back to Kenma’s house to eat their food and put all their snack, as well as other supplies, into backpacks. Kenma decided to carry the snack backpack and Kuroo ended up getting to carry the bag full of items like a small blanket, sweatshirts, and an umbrella. After packing they double checked to make sure they had everything they might need then headed over to the game shop.

“This is the shop, the wall over there is where the line will start.” Kenma said as he pointed.

“That worker is carrying over a rope and there’s a table set up so, should we go over there now?” Kuroo asked.

“No, you’re not allowed to go into that section before the scheduled line up time. Remember they won’t let you buy the game because, they don’t want a crowd waiting around there and blocking other customers just to get a better spot in line.” Kenma stated.

           They still had about an hour before they could line up so, Kenma showed Kuroo around the rest of the store. It was a decently big store so they figured walking around and looking at stuff would help waste most of the time. Kuroo had been in the store a year or two back when Kenma wanted to stop in and buy a new game but, like most stores, the layout had completely changed. The bobble heads and gamer mugs were now where some board games used to be and their spot was now taken up by some figures and costume items such as fake swords and hats. He wondered if him and Kenma changed as much in the last few years as the store did. Kuroo went to go mention the store change to Kenma to try and start a conversation but, he realized Kenma wasn’t there. He figured he must have lost Kenma while he was zoning out.

“Kenma! Kenma, where are you?” Kuroo called out as he looked around the store.

           He searched around the store for a good 15 minutes before he got an idea of where Kenma might be.

‘There you are!” Kuroo said walking over to a TV.

“Oh, I guess you got lost. I saw that they had the demo version of this game on the TV and wanted to test it out. I thought you were following me but, I guess it’s easy for you to get distracted.” Kenma said without looking away from the screen as he continued playing the game.

“You’re supposed to be showing me around the place.” Kuroo stated.

“I will continue after I test out the demo more. We have plenty of time.” Kenma said as he entered into a boss fight.

           Kuroo was about to continue the conversation but, he noticed a group of guys staring and didn’t want to disturb them. He noticed one talking to the other while looking at Kenma. He assumed the guys were probably laughing about the fact someone as small as Kenma, who is often mistaken as a child, was talking to him like that. Maybe they thought he was Kenma’s baby sitter and enjoyed how Kenma was rebelliously talking back. The guys seemed like the type to be into that with how they dressed with their mohawks, ripped jeans, and leather jackets but he decided that he shouldn’t waste any more time thinking about those guys. Kuroo figured it’d be better to start thinking about helping Kenma get a good spot in line so that he could get Kenma the game and get his end of the deal done.

“Testing, testing, Hello! Attention all shoppers, line up time will begin in fifteen minutes. Anyone caught in or near the line up zone, which is marked by a box outline of bright green tape, from now till the start of line up will not be allowed to purchase the game. Thank you for listening and we hope you find everything you need, if you need help please see one of our many workers who are eager to help you!” A voice cheerfully said from over a speaker.

           For some reason Kuroo found the way she explained and said the instructions to not be in the line up zone to be very strange but, he figured it probably meant that people were probably going to get decently aggressive when it comes to getting the new game. Either that or it was just the usual “gamers liking to be dramatic”. After some thought he figured it’d probably be the later considering if the people here are as lazy as Kenma is, they won’t feel like trying to push people out of the way or fight over games and focus more on just getting in line with their money ready to go.

“We should probably go to the restroom before line up starts.” Kenma said putting down the controller.

“I’ll just hold your bag and wait outside. I went before we left your place so, I don’t have to go.” Kuroo said holding out his hands to grab the bag.

“Ok, but once we are in line you are staying in line. That was part of the deal, you can’t leave the line until I get my game.” Kenma said handing over his bag

“What?! But, what if it’s an emergency?” Kuroo asked.

“You went before we left my place so, it shouldn’t come to that.” Kenma said walking into the bathroom.

           Once Kenma got out they started heading over just in time for the announcement that line up had started. There was a crowd of people in front of them but, Kuroo was determined, not only to fulfill his end of the deal but, also to help get his friend something that he really wanted. He picked up his pace and started weaving in and out of people while hoping he would make it in line without too many people in front of him. The people in the crowd started getting slowly more aggressive. Kuroo was happy he was on the tall side and could avoid getting hit in the face by people’s elbows. He saw the line slowly approaching the limit and hoped he could make it in time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got slammed with a bunch of exams but, chapter 6 is done being written and just needs to be proof read. I'm hoping I can get the chapter published onto here by the 20th. Good news is I also started working on chapter 7 so, that might also be published within the next few weeks (no promises tho bc I have exams all next week and a project due the following). Thank you for being so patient, I hope I can do a chapter update soon!!!


	6. Desperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to line up and it's time to see just how much Kenma is willing to give to get the game...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience!  
> I am almost on spring break and I should be able to post it next week. I was gonna post last December when I finished the chapter and started the next but, I apparently forgot to save my changes and had to redo over half the chapter. (Hopefully I will have it up and maybe the 18th of March)

Kenma tried making his way through the crowd but, he was too small to move anyone but children out of the way and he didn’t want to accidentally hurt children. There was a swarm of people between him and where the line started. He knew it would be difficult to get a spot in line, but he didn’t think it’d be this difficult. Kenma started to look for anyway he could get past some of the people. He tried squeezing past a man but, ended up getting elbowed in the face and falling to the ground. Right as he was getting up he heard the voice over the intercom again.

“I’m sorry to announce that the line has reached its cut off. To those not in line you may stick around in case someone in line leave but, if you do please step away from the line up zone which, is marked by a box outlined with bright green tape. Thank you for shopping with us and the next shipment will be in around three months!” The voice announced.

Kenma sat on the ground shocked as people just walked around him. He was worried this would happen but, he didn’t think he would. He slowly started to get up when a security guard made his way over.

“Excuse me are you ok little kid, did you lose your mom in the crowd?” The guard said while helping him up.

“I’m ok, thank you. I’m not here with my mom though.” Kenma said.

“What? Why would a young kid like you be out here by yourself?” the guard asked concerned.

“I’m actually 17.” Kenma stated.

“Oh, I apologize. Well, you do have to get out of this area though.” The guard said starting to gently shove him along a bit.

“WAIT GUARD HE’S WITH ME!” A voice yelled from the line.

           The guard walked Kenma over to where the voice came from only for him to see Kuroo in line smiling and waving. Kenma felt a sense of relief and in that moment, he knew he made the right choice of getting Kuroo to come along.

“He might be with you but, you can’t save a spot in line for another person. Everyone in line can only get one. Sorry, he’ll have to wait for you outside of the box.” The guard stated, rubbing the back of his neck.

“We’re only buying one game together sir, I promise I just want him to be able to stand with me.” Kuroo explained with slight desperation in his voice.

“Well, I don’t think there’s a rule against having someone stand in line with you as long as you’re only buying one game like you said.” The guard stated.

“I promise we will only be buying one game. I’ll even let you write it on a note and stick it to me if it will allow my friend to stand in line with me!” Kuroo practically begged.

           Kenma figured that Kuroo really didn’t feel like standing in a boring line alone and if he showed how much effort he was putting into his end of the deal that he would do the same. Kenma then watched as the guard pulled out a note and pinned it onto Kuroo. He couldn’t help but start laughing a little.

“Ok, kid you can wait in line with your friend since he now has the note on him. Have a good day.” The guard said holding back a laugh as he waved and started walking away.

“You too!” Kenma replied back as he went under the rope to stand next to Kuroo.

           They stood in line silently, Kenma was still trying to calm himself down from the events that just occured when Kuroo broke the silence.

“I can’t believe he actually pinned a note on me. I know I said he could if it would let you stay in line with me but, really?” Kuroo said gesturing to the noted pinned to his shirt

“Well, part of the deal was getting me in line to get the game so…” Kenma said while smiling and shrugging.

“Well, your part of the deal is that you have to give 100% effort and practice extra with me so, my pinned-on note doesn’t seem too bad now does it?” Kuroo said with a smirk.

“It’s not funny anymore.” Kenma stated in a monotone voice as his smile vanished.

           He almost completely forgot about having to practice extra while giving 100%. Kenma could see his life flashing before his eyes. He might just end up working himself to death. The game looked really good from the short demo playthroughs he saw sponsored people playing online so, at least he would probably die happy. The line was slow but, moving steadily until it came to a big halt. After a while of no moving Kenma tried to see why but, couldn’t see over or around the people in front of him.

“What’s going on, why did the line suddenly stop?” Kenma asked, turning to Kuroo.

“It looks like they ran out of the posters you get for getting it at the early release.” Kuroo said while pulling a water bottle out of Kenma’s bag.

“Oh, I guess that’s a good reason.” Kenma said while pulling out a game to play as he waited.

           They waited in silence for a bit until they started hearing yelling coming from the front of the line. Kenma still couldn’t see what was happening but, he could hear and judging by Kuroo’s face he was pretty sure he didn’t want to see what was happening.

“ARE YOU TELLING ME I ACTUALLY HAVE TO WAIT EVEN LONGER NOW? THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I HAVE PLACES I NEED TO BE!” A woman’s voice said from the front of the line

“I’m- I’m really sorry miss. We are trying to get the other posters as fast as we can.” Another voice who, Kenma assumed was an employee said.

“WELL, YOU’RE NOT DOING IT FAST ENOUGH! I WANT A DISCOUNT TO MAKE UP FOR THE TIME YOU ARE WASTING!” The woman yelled.

           Kenma tried to move around and see if he could see what was going on in the front of the line but, had no success. Kenma was about to go back to playing his game when he noticed Kuroo leaning down towards him.

“I’m assuming since you’re so short you can’t see. Want me to explain want’s happening?” Kuroo whispered.

“Do I want to know what’s happening?” Kenma whispered back.

“Well, I can tell you that security is now coming over to take the lady away.” Kuroo whispered while taking quick looks at what was going on.

“I mean, I agree that she shouldn’t talk to the employees like that but, they’re already taking her away? I thought they would’ve just given her a warning first.” Kenma said.

“Well, they were probably going to but, that was before she picked up a cardboard cutout and ripped it in half before throwing it at the employee for being too slow.” Kuroo said rolling his eyes.

“Some people just don’t know how to respect employees.” Kenma said shaking his head before continuing to play his game.

           After a while of waiting in line the store began to get chilly as it got later. Kuroo pulled out their sweatshirts and they put them on to stay warm. Kuroo then grabbed another water bottle and started telling Kenma about how he should be drinking a lot of water too in order to stay hydrated. Finally, after waiting in line for a while they reached the front of the line.

“How may I help you guys?” The employee asked them as they walked up.

“Just one game please.” Kenma said as he pulled out his money.

“Ok, that will be $60 please. Also, why do you have a piece of paper pinned to you?” the employee asked as he traded the game for the money.

“A guard pinned it to me saying how it’s the only way we could stand together since, we said we were only getting one game.” Kuroo said while unpinning the note.

“Oh, that was probably Kaito. He always likes to mess with the customers, I hope it didn’t bother you!” The employee said cheerfully as he handed Kuroo the poster.

“Have a good night, come again!” The employee said before serving the next customer

           They walked out of the way of the next customer and into a less crowded area. Kenma was overjoyed that he finally got the game he had been waiting months for. He was about to put his game in the bag when Kuroo tapped his shoulder and asked him to hold his bag while he went to the bathroom. Kenma watched Kuroo make his way across the store to the bathrooms before moving into a corner so he wouldn’t be in people’s way and put both bags on the ground. He then kneeled onto the ground to put his game in the bag when suddenly a shadow was over him. He didn’t pay much attention and figured it was just a person trying to get to a less crowded spot like he did.

“Hey kid.” A harsh voice called down to him.

           He stopped putting his game in the bag and looked up to see three guys who were about his age with mohawks, ripped jeans, and leather jackets. They seemed like the type of people that were annoying so, Kenma decided to just ignore them and continue to put his game away.

‘Kid, I’m talking to you!” The guy in the middle said as he shoved Kenma, causing him to fall onto his back.

“What do you want?” Kenma asked, as he went sat up.

“Give us the game. The next sale doesn’t go on for a while so people will be willing to pay triple, maybe even quadruple for that game!” The guy said stepping closer.

“Well you should have waited in line for a copy yourself then.” Kenma said to the guy he assumed was the leader and continued placing his game into the bag.

“Come on be smart kid, we could give you your money back and maybe even some more if you cooperate. To prove I’m trustworthy I’ll even let you know my name, it’s Toma.” Toma said holding out his hand.

“I don’t want more money. I wanted the game and I have it now. But you are right, I should be smart. I’m going to start being smart by stopping talking to you.” Kenma said annoyed.

           Kenma then went to get up and leave but, was kicked in the stomach before he could. The kick was just hard enough to knock the breath out of him which, caused him to fall onto his knees and hold his stomach as he looked up at the guys. He tried to look for a security guard he could call over for help but, they were all by the line and doors. With how loud the store currently was and far the guards are there was no chance of getting one’s attention, especially with them being in a hard to see corner of the store. The two guys with Toma then moved to block Kenma’s view and then suddenly, he felt another swift kick to his stomach. This time causing him to cough and collapse. he then felt himself getting lifted from the ground. Toma had picked him up and pinned him against the wall. He tried to squirm and get himself lose but, he couldn’t reach the floor and his shoes kept slipping off the wall. Toma must have noticed Kenma trying to get loose because, after squirming a bit Kenma felt himself get pulled off of the wall only to then get slammed back into it. The force was enough to make Kenma squeeze his eyes closed in an attempt to hold back tears. Kenma could feel his whole body starting to ache and as he opened his eyes a rush of fear ran over him when he saw the smirk on the Toma’s face.

“You know, I was originally gonna just take the game from you and leave. But, you’ve already wasted some of my precious time and didn’t show proper respect so, I think I’ll have some fun with you first.” Toma said pulling back his fist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you're checking this for an update. I'm having some real life issues going on currently that I'm working on. I haven't abandoned this and I hope to update soon!


	7. Authors note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why I haven't updated

Sorry I've taken so long and I apologize that this isn't an actual update for those who have been waiting. I have felt incredibly discouraged in writing since the fandom has died down and this work doesn't appear to be getting any real attention. On average it can take me over a week to plan out the next chapter, write the rough draft, then make the appropriate edits. To do all that and only get a few kudos and almost no comments while trying to balance my school work and health makes the writing not worth it at the moment.   
I'll try to update it once I find inspiration and motivation to write again. Thank you to anyone who has encouraged me to continue writing so far

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this please leave a Kudos or comment so that I know you guys actually want me to keep updating.  
> I will try to update every other week!


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